Piano foete pedal and gtjaed



(No Model.) 4

W. T. STERNENBERG, PIANO FORTE PEDAL AND GUARD.

No. 444,807. Patented Jan.6,1891.

Fay 1 WITNESSES M m VENTORI:

B) JQMQ ax. ATTORNEYS 0 nmo wumumun n c UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

'ALTHER T. S'lERNENBERG, OF NEll' YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-FORTE PEDAL AND GUARD.

SPEOIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,807, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed August 23, 1890. Serial No. 362,873 (No model.)

To all whom, it 71mg concern;

Be it known that I, \VALTHER T. STERNEN BERG, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Piano-Forte Pedal and Guard, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to pedals and a guard for the case or lyre of piano-fortes or other musical instruments in which pedals are used to modulate or modify the tone.

The invention has for its main object to prevent mice or other destructive animals from entering the instrument at the slot through which the pedal-lever passes; and, further, to combine afguard-plate with the pedal lover or levers, which will protect the polished face of the piano case or lyre to which the pedal or pedals are applied, and to give a more than ordinarily attractive appearance to the front of the instrument with which the pedals, or the pedals and guard,

may be employed.

The invention will first be described, and then will be particularly pointed out in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a front elevation of the base of the front'or lyre of a piano-forte provided with my improvement. Fig.2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken on the line a: a" in Fig. 1. Fig. is a perspective view of the left-foot pedal detached, and Fig. l: is a plan view of the front or outer-portion of the pedal.

I make the pedal proper A,Which is the front or outer end of the pedal-lever, in the usual flat form, giving it an outward lateral curve at the end; but instead of making the inner end or shank .B of the pedal broad and to range flatwise, as is ordinarily done, I set the shank in vertical plane or edge wise, the whole pedal-lever being, preferably, castin one piece of metal, as shown in the drawings. The shank of the pedahlevcr is provided with a lateral enlargement at a place behind the pedal portion A, and in this enlargement is made a vertically-ranging hole a, which is, preferably,tapered do wnward an d receives the foot of a red O, which will be connected in any approved manner (not necessary to show or describe) with the dampers or toneanodifying devices of the instrument. The pedal-levers are fulcrumed by a pin a, or otherwise, to suitable supports at the interior of the instrument or on a lyre.

In connection with pedal-levers formed with the vertically-disposed inner shank portions B, I provide a metallic guard-plate D, which has a main body portion (I, which may be ornamented in any preferred manner-in the casting of it or otherwiseand is provided with two comparatively narrow vertical slots E E, through which pass those portions of the thin vertical pedal-shanks which are immediately behind the outer flat or horizontal and wider treadle portions A of the pedal-levers. Along its upper edge the guard-plate is provided with a lengthwise bead or projecting molding d, which extends from end to end of the plate and is, preferably, cast hollow, to secure light- 11 ess and lessen expense, and is also preferably provided with end ornaments, which are shown in the form of acorns, but any other approved end ornaments may be adopted. This projecting bead prevents upward slip of the players boot-toe against the finished face of the case or lyre F of the instrument, while the main body (Z of the plate guards the face at and behind the pedals A.

The guard-plate may be fastened to the instrument-case or lyre by screws, as shown in the d ra\vings,or in an yother preferred manner.

The special distinguishing feature of my improvement as compared with other devices of like general character is the making of the pedal-lever shank or stem B narrow or thin and to stand vertically with relation to the flat outer treadle portion A, wherebv the thin shanks require such very narrow slots to be made in the front of the case of an upright piano or instrument, that mice or other animals which would damage the interior mechanism of the instrument are prevented from entering through the pedal-lever slots. These pedal-levers having vertical shanks or stems tected from the foot of the player, while mice are excluded. Incidentally, the verticallyranging pedal-lever shanks or stems give greater power of resistance to the strains brought upon the pedals in working the dampers than ordinary pedals, in which the shanks or stems lie flatwise or in horizontal plane.

A further distinguishing feature of the invention consists in the laterally-projecting shoulder or shoulders (1 which are formed at the point of junction of the broader flat treadle portion of the lever with the narrower stem portion B thereof. As these shoulders project in front of the guard-plate atits slots E, they practically conceal the slots from view when the pedals are not operated, and thereby give the front of the instrument at the pedals a more than ordinarily attractive appearance, the difference being so marked in this respect that makers of musical instruments would nothesitate' to adopt these pedals for this useful purpose alone, without regard to the other advantages assured in excluding mice from the instrument, which are given by the narrow slots, through which the narrow pedal-stems pass. These pedal-shoulders a would operate equally well to conceal the slots f of theinstrument-case were the guardplate D not used, as will be readily understood. Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Apedal havinglaterally-projectingshoulder or shoulders overlying the instrument next the slot through which the pedal passes I and practically concealing said slot, substanti'ally as described.

2. A pedal made with a horizontally-ranging outer or treadle portion and a comparatively narrow inner stem portion, and provided at the points of junction of said outer and inner portions with laterally-projecting shoulder or shoulders next the slot through which the pedal-shank passes, said shoulders practically concealing said slot, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the case or lyre of a musical instrument, of a metallic guardplate held to the instrument at its pedal-slots, said plate having narrow slots, and the pedals having narrow inner stem portions entering the slots of the guard-plate and actuating the tone-regulating mechanism of the instrument, and having outer horizontal treadle portions, and provided with shoulders which project over the guard-plate and practically conceal its slots, substantially as described.

4. In pedal and guard devices, the combination, with a slotted musical instrument case or lyre, of pedals A, having outer horizontal treadle portions and inner narrow fulcrumed stem portions 13, operating the toneregulating mechanism of the instrument, said pedals having lateral shoulders a at the point of junction of its outer and inner portions, and a guard-plate fixed to the instrument, and having narrow slots E,receiving the pedalstems, substantially as described.

WALTHER T. STERNENBERG.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL Hnss, KARL K LINZING. 

